NH2-truncated human tau induces deregulated mitophagy in neurons by aberrant recruitment of Parkin and UCHL-1: implications in Alzheimer's disease.

Disarrangement in functions and quality control of mitochondria at synapses are early events in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathobiology. We reported that a 20-22 kDa NH2-tau fragment mapping between 26 and 230 amino acids of the longest human tau isoform (aka NH2htau): (i) is detectable in cellular and animal AD models, as well in synaptic mitochondria and cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) from human AD subjects; (ii) is neurotoxic in primary hippocampal neurons; (iii) compromises the mitochondrial biology both directly, by inhibiting the ANT-1-dependent ADP/ATP exchange, and indirectly, by impairing their selective autophagic clearance (mitophagy). Here, we show that the extensive Parkin-dependent turnover of mitochondria occurring in NH2htau-expressing post-mitotic neurons plays a pro-death role and that UCHL-1, the cytosolic Ubiquitin-C-terminal hydrolase L1 which directs the physiological remodeling of synapses by controlling ubiquitin homeostasis, critically contributes to mitochondrial and synaptic failure in this in vitro AD model. Pharmacological or genetic suppression of improper mitophagy, either by inhibition of mitochondrial targeting to autophagosomes or by shRNA-mediated silencing of Parkin or UCHL-1 gene expression, restores synaptic and mitochondrial content providing partial but significant protection against the NH2htau-induced neuronal death. Moreover, in mitochondria from human AD synapses, the endogenous NH2htau is stably associated with Parkin and with UCHL-1. Taken together, our studies show a causative link between the excessive mitochondrial turnover and the NH2htau-induced in vitro neuronal death, suggesting that pathogenetic tau truncation may contribute to synaptic deterioration in AD by aberrant recruitment of Parkin and UCHL-1 to mitochondria making them more prone to detrimental autophagic clearance

Prevalence of variations in melanoma susceptibility genes among Slovenian melanoma families

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Two high-risk genes have been implicated in the development of CM (cutaneous melanoma). Germline mutations of the CDKN2A gene are found in < 25% of melanoma-prone families and there are only seven families with mutation of the <it>CDK4 </it>gene reported to date. Beside those high penetrance genes, certain allelic variants of the <it>MC1R </it>gene modify the risk of developing the disease.</p> <p>The aims of our study were: to determine the prevalence of germline <it>CDKN2A </it>mutations and variants in members of families with familial CM and in patients with multiple primary CM; to search for possible <it>CDK4 </it>mutations, and to determine the frequency of variations in the <it>MC1R </it>gene.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>From January 2001 until January 2007, 64 individuals were included in the study. The group included 28 patients and 7 healthy relatives belonging to 25 families, 26 patients with multiple primary tumors and 3 children with CM. Additionally 54 healthy individuals were included as a control group. Mutations and variants of the melanoma susceptibility genes were identified by direct sequencing.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Seven families with CDKN2A mutations were discovered (7/25 or 28.0%). The L94Q mutation found in one family had not been previously reported in other populations. The D84N variant, with possible biological impact, was discovered in the case of patient without family history but with multiple primary CM. Only one mutation carrier was found in the control group. Further analysis revealed that c.540C>T heterozygous carriers were more common in the group of CM patients and their healthy relatives (11/64 vs. 2/54). One p14ARF variant was discovered in the control group and no mutations of the <it>CDK4 </it>gene were found.</p> <p>Most frequently found variants of the <it>MC1R </it>gene were T314T, V60L, V92M, R151C, R160W and R163Q with frequencies slightly higher in the group of patients and their relatives than in the group of controls, but the difference was statistically insignificant.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The present study has shown high prevalence of p16INK4A mutations in Slovenian population of familial melanoma patients (37%) and an absence of p14ARF or <it>CDK4 </it>mutations.</p

Tachykinin neuropeptides in cerebellar granule neurons: an immunocytochemical study

We previously demonstrated that exogenously administered neurokinin A and neurokinin B, but not substance P, increased the sensitivity of cultured cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) to glutamate. In the present study, the presence of tachykinin neuropeptides in CGNs was tested by confocalbased immunofluorescence.We found that neurokinin A and neurokinin B are present in CGNs but absent in astrocytes. while substance P is abundant in astrocytes but absent in CGNs. It is postulated that the different localization of tachykinin neuropeptides in CGNs and astroglial cells has a physiological role in the modulation of excitatory transmission

Altered intracellular distribution of PrP(C) and impairment of proteasome activity in tau overexpressing cortical neurons.

The microtubule associated protein tau plays a crucial role in Alzheimer's disease and in many neurodegenerative disorders collectively known as tauopathies. Recently, tau pathology has been also documented in prion diseases although the possible molecular events linking these two proteins are still unknown. We have investigated the fate of normal cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) in primary cortical neurons overexpressing tau protein. We found that overexpression of tau reduces PrP(C) expression at the cell surface and causes its accumulation and aggregation in the cell body but does not affect its maturation and glycosylation. Trapped PrP(C) forms detergent-insoluble aggregates, mainly composed of un-glycosylated and mono-glycosylated forms of prion protein. Interestingly, co-transfection of tau gene in cortical neurons with a proteasome activity reporter, consisting of a short peptide degron fused to the carboxyl-terminus of green fluorescent protein (GFP-CL1), results in down-regulation of the proteasome system, suggesting a possible mechanism that contributes to intracellular PrP(C) accumulation. These findings open a new perspective for the possible crosstalk between tau and prion proteins in the pathogenesis of tau induced-neurodegeneration

Neurotrophin-3 promotes the survival of oligodendrocyte precursors in embryonic hippocampal cultures under chemically defined conditions

Embryonic rat hippocampal cells were cultured in basal medium with or without addition of the neurotrophin NT-3. After culturing in these extreme conditions, the effects of NT-3 on the neuronal and on the glial components were assessed. Neurons survived even in the absence of NT-3 but failed to reach terminal differentiation. On the other hand, NT-3 promoted the survival but not the proliferation and/or the differentiation of oligodendrocytes precursors present in the same culture, an effect that was reversed by the addition of neutralizing antibodies against NT-3. Type I or II astrocytes were not affected by NT-3. These results reinforce the role for NT-3 in oligodendrocyte lineage development and allow to dissect the roles of this neurotrophin in survival and in proliferation/differentiation of oligodendrocytes

NGF and BDNF signaling control amyloidogenic route and Aβ production in hippocampal neurons

Here, we report that interruption of NGF or BDNF signaling in hippocampal neurons rapidly activates the amyloidogenic pathway and causes neuronal apoptotic death. These events are associated with an early intracellular accumulation of PS1 N-terminal catalytic subunits and of APP C-terminal fragments and a progressive accumulation of intra- and extracellular Aβ aggregates partly released into the culture medium. The released pool of Aβ induces an increase of APP and PS1 holoprotein levels, creating a feed-forward toxic loop that might also cause the death of healthy neurons. These events are mimicked by exogenously added Aβ and are prevented by exposure to β- and γ-secretase inhibitors and by antibodies directed against Aβ peptides. The same cultured neurons deprived of serum die, but APP and PS1 overexpression does not occur, Aβ production is undetectable, and cell death is not inhibited by anti-Aβ antibodies, suggesting that hippocampal amyloidogenesis is not a simple consequence of an apoptotic trigger but is due to interruption of neurotrophic signaling

Signaling pathways acticated by chemokine receptor CXCR2 and AMPA-type glutamate receptors and involvement in granule cells survival

We show that treatment of cerebellar granules with interleukin-8 (IL-8), growth-related gene product beta (GRObeta) or AMPA induced activation of PI3-K/Akt and of ERK pathways, the latter being independent of PI3-K and dependent on PTX-sensitive G proteins. We also show that AMPA-mediated neuron survival was abolished both by ERK kinase inhibitor PD98059 and AMPA-Rs blocker CNQX, and that chemokine-mediated survival was blocked by the PI3-K inhibitors LY294002 and wortmannin. We conclude that the neurotrophic effects of AMPA need the contemporary activation of ERKs and stimulation of AMPA-Rs, and that PI3-K/Akt activation is a determinant pathway for the lL-8/GRObeta anti-apoptotic activity

MicroRNA-101 regulates amyloid precursor protein expression in hippocampal neurons.

The amyloid precursor protein (APP) and its proteolytic product amyloid beta (A) are associated with both familial and sporadic forms of Alzheimer disease (AD). Aberrant expression and function of microRNAs has been observed in AD. Here, we show that in rat hippocampal neurons cultured in vitro, the down-regulation of Argonaute-2, a key component of the RNA-induced silencing complex, produced an increase in APP levels. Using site-directed mutagenesis, a microRNA responsive element (RE) for miR-101 was identified in the 3-untranslated region (UTR) of APP. The inhibition of endogenous miR-101 increased APP levels, whereas lentiviral- mediated miR-101 overexpression significantly reduced APPandA load in hippocampal neurons. In addition, miR-101 contributed to the regulation of APP in response to the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-l). Thus, miR-101 is a negative regulator of APP expression and affects the accumulation of A, suggesting a possible role for miR-101 in neuropathological condition